


Double Edged Sword

by November_Clouds



Series: sorrow, pain, and loss (whumptober 2020) [9]
Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Amputation, Antima is a Bad Person in this, Asta (Black Clover) Needs a Hug, Black Clover Manga Spoilers, Chapter 258 Rewrite, Chapter 258-266 Spoilers, Kinda, Manga Spoilers, Manipulation, Sort Of, Take me instead, Whump, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020, for the greater good, i rework canon entirely and i am not at all sorry, idk man, no. 9 - Freeform, rated t because i used hell one (1) time, that's not a tag why are you cowards, what do i pUt: spoopy edition, writing asta is hard u guys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:22:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26914333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/November_Clouds/pseuds/November_Clouds
Summary: “Don’t you recognize me, boy? We’ve been together for quite some time now…” The tangled mass straightened itself out, revealing a long slender body. “I am the source of your power, after all.”day 9: for the greater good + take me insteadmanga spoilers!
Relationships: Anti Magic Devil | Asta's Devil & Asta (Black Clover)
Series: sorrow, pain, and loss (whumptober 2020) [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1924213
Kudos: 21
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Double Edged Sword

**Author's Note:**

> sorry in advance for making antima's lines in bold  
> sorry even more bc i couldn't make the space between quotation marks go away

Asta lunged forward, sword in hand and breath ragged. He slashed at Dante, swinging his sword widely, trying desperately to get a hit in. _Just once,_ please.

He sensed Yami’s ki next to him, and was surprised to find him worried, just as worried as he was. _Even the Captain’s worried? We’re really in trouble then._

He swings again, anti-magic encasing him in a thick shield, when his vision goes black. He startles at the sudden change. _Did I black out?_ he wonders. _No, I can still feel my sword, and Captain Yami, too. So what happened?_

“ **Asta. So we meet again.** ”

Asta whipped his head around blindly at the voice, trying to find the source. He realized belatedly that he could see again, and when he looked around, he saw that the world was barren, every color stripped down to its barest components. It was so dark it was as if the shadows themselves were being thrown into oblivion.

“Where am I?” Asta demanded of the disembodied voice. He scanned the area, looking for a place that they could be hiding. “Come out and show yourself!”

The black grew blacker, and it shifted until it was right in front of him. White spots appeared, like eyes, and Asta realized that the black mass was a face, white eyes and wild hair.

“ **Don’t you recognize me, boy? We’ve been together for quite some time now…** ” The tangled mass straightened itself out, revealing a long slender body. “ **I am the source of your power, after all.** ”

Asta’s eyes widened in recognition. “You’re the devil in my grimoire, aren’t you?” He looked around the battered landscape. All the colors seemed to be sucked into the devil, and when he looked down at his hands, they were stained with dark spots. “What are you doing to me?”

The devil shook its head. “ **The underworld is not a place for humans, but it is the only place where I can reach you. While your body fights on, your mind has been transported here.** ” The devil gives a toothy smile, looking cruel. “ **The longer you stay, the faster you die.** ”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Asta shouted. “Send me back! Captain Yami’s relying on me!”

“ **Ah, ah, ah, boy. I have a proposition.** ” The devil suddenly looks excited. “ **You’re losing out there, aren’t you? That can change.** ” He pauses. “ **If you give me part of your body, I will lend you my power.** ”

Asta’s about to shout out his assent, if only to get him back in the fight, when he hesitates. _Give up part of my body? What does that even mean?_

If he gave up his body, could the devil take control of him? Would he become power hungry, like the people from Spade? His goal was to get rid of the devils, not become one even more. And the Magic Parliament would definitely execute him if he gave himself up.

A little voice whispered in the back of Asta’s mind. _Don’t be selfish,_ it said. _The job of a Magic Knight is to protect the kingdom, no matter what. Do it, for the greater good._

Asta turned to the devil, hiding the shake in his hands. “Take my arm,” he said. “Do it.”

The devil twisted its face again, lips pulling apart into a sneer. “ **You made the right choice.** ” Its white eyes started shining, the light blinding him. Asta covered his eyes, shielding them. Vaguely, he heard the devil begin to chant an ancient spell.

When he opened his eyes, he was back on the surface.

And his arm hurt like hell.

Asta fought with new vigor, slashing and striking with a dark power flowing through his veins. In sync with his captain, he put his all into the battle, pushing past his limits again and again.

But it wasn’t enough.

Dante tricked them, and he took Captain Yami with him.

They had lost.

And Asta couldn’t feel his arm.

That night, after portaling back into the capital, Asta lay flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He had a pounding headache, matching his heartbeat with fast thuds against his skull. His vision was foggy, and it felt like he was hearing everything from underwater.

As he lay uncomfortably, his vision went dark for the second time, and he found himself in the underworld again.

Asta stood up, heart pounding. “It didn’t work!” he screamed. “Your power wasn’t enough! And now—”

The devil appeared swiftly, a dark mass of black and emptiness. “ **Do you think I care?** ” it rumbled, voice booming.

Asta stumbled back. “What do you—”

“ **Do you think I care about your little fight with that other devil?** ” The devil made a howling sound, laughing at him. “ **I can’t believe you’re so gullible.** ”

Asta felt pain in his chest, pain like he never felt before. “What are you doing to me?” he mumbled, his voice rising with every word. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

“ **Your body belongs to me now, boy."** The devil rubs its hands together. “ **Finally, my wait is over. I can have my revenge.** ”

The devil’s eyes turn that blinding white again, and Asta feels like his internal organs are being wiped away. “ **Goodbye, Asta,** ” the devil croons. “I **t was wonderful manipulating you.** ”

Asta doesn’t wake up.

**Author's Note:**

> number of times i used some form of the word black: 6
> 
> edit: so apparently i wasn't that off in my characterization of antima???? wha????? ch 267 is working in my favor :)


End file.
